Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is WisdomTree U.S. Total Dividend ETF (DTD) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Launched on 06/16/2006, the WisdomTree U.S. Total Dividend ETF (DTD - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.

Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work well for investors who believe in market efficiency.

But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.

By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.

Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

Managed by Wisdomtree, DTD has amassed assets over $1.05 billion, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. DTD seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree U.S. Dividend Index before fees and expenses.

The WisdomTree U.S. Dividend Index is a fundamentally-weighted index that defines the dividend-paying portion of the U.S. equity market.

Cost & Other Expenses

Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.

Annual operating expenses for DTD are 0.28%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.

DTD's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 2.04%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

DTD's heaviest allocation is in the Information Technology sector, which is about 21.40% of the portfolio. Its Financials and Healthcare round out the top three.

When you look at individual holdings, Microsoft Corp (MSFT - Free Report) accounts for about 5.72% of the fund's total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Free Report) .

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 26.34% of DTD's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

So far this year, DTD has lost about -0.06%, and is up about 27.29% in the last one year (as of 01/06/2022). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $51.92 and $65.53.

The ETF has a beta of 0.98 and standard deviation of 21.82% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 661 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

WisdomTree U.S. Total Dividend ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD - Free Report) tracks Russell 1000 Value Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. IShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $59.81 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $93.14 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% and VTV charges 0.04%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Large Cap Value.

Bottom Line

To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.

Published in